A Reason to Stay

Short story started forevers ago. I have the notes on how to finish it, so I might just do that. :) 

As my vision comes into focus I see my shoes treading along heavily weathered wooden boards. I only briefly wonder what had caused my vision to blur when a breeze caresses my face and I forget to wonder altogether.

The air is warm, almost hot, despite the lack of sun in the dark sky. The boards under my feet form a continuous path along the shoreline. I know you’ll be there somewhere. I’m not sure who you are, but I know I’m here for you.

The ocean to my right is obsidian. Glossy and black, and beckoning me to join into nothingness. There is no horizon to separate sky and sea, and if the waves are crashing, the sound does not carry. I turn away. I’m worried that the siren call will pull me from you. You are important. There is a flash of deep brown locks in my mind’s eye. It’s the one thing I’m sure of.

A little further down to the left of the boards, I see movement. There’s a bonfire leaping taller than any of the figures crowded round its gleaming girth. There’s music on the wind and people are dancing and laughing. I stop again. There’s a low ridge behind the partiers where the sand turns to something more substantial. The line of the ridge continues to rise as it chases the coast until they collide in a high sheer cliff. There are imposing stairs carved into its side, and above, a dark curving road where headlights occasionally flash.

“Hey there, Earth to Major Tom!”

A hand flashes in front of my face; my head turned to meet the voice. I inhale to begin speaking but what to say is still beyond me. My sense of self is trickling back with that breath, though, and time is speeding up from still life. Maybe this girl, with the smirk and red Solo cup, would- wait, I know her. I know I know her.

“Hi.”

“You feeling alright? You sound a bit hoarse. You’re not catching that thing that’s going round, are you?” She took a hefty pace back from me, sand sliding her further still. The concern on her face never faltered though her eyes narrowed considerably. “Cause you know I just can’t afford to get sick right now! I’ve got that Chem exam on Tuesday and then there’s the-”

“It’s ok Stace. Just a frog in my throat.” I had no difficulty feigning a smile. Stace- Stacey! I did know her. Sister, my mind added helpfully. You knew she was going to be here with her friends. She invited you to come along but you weren’t in the mood for cheep beer and anonymous company.

“Okay, Frenchie. If you say so. I didn’t think you were going to be coming at all. You’ve been kinda…distant recently. But no matter! You’re here now. Did you bring any CD’s with you? Tim is playing at DJ and you know how he is with his awful 80’s grunge bands; I mean really, there’s only so much laryngitis and angst one can take in a given evening. And this is supposed to be…”

I let the rambling cadence of her words slide over me without really hearing, a soothing blanket of familiarity.

Maybe I had meant to come here all along. That seemed normal. I seemed normal here. Stacey looped her arm through my elbow and pulled me off the wooden pathway. I stumbled but caught myself and headed off with her towards the sparking fire.

“Here you go, dude.” A man with dark hair and darker eyes held out a cup to me from across a folding table. I accepted automatically and sniffed at the noxious brown stuff. I wanted to talk to this man. Maybe I would remember even more or he would know something. Because there was something, wasn’t there? But Stacey, who had barely halted for this hospitality, and whose words had not, was already tugging my arm in the direction of the boy that must be Tim.

“-And maybe you can talk some sense into him! Or just beat him up. I mean, really. Orange and purple are alright for school colors maybe but certainly not for-” I nodded, and leaned far back to redeposit the un-sipped red plastic on the table while my arm could still reach.

“Listen, Stacey, I have something important I have to know.”